A new version of Hardik Pandya has emerged in this year’s IPL. A Hardik who is more intent on batting through the innings and someone who lets others around him to play the shots and score quickly. However, the question is, is this version of Pandya doing any good to his team in the IPL?
I have said this before
I have said this before and I will say this again. Hardik Pandya had long ago lost interest to represent the country in the highest form of the game. He is earned sufficiently for the next generation that the intensity and the rigours of international cricket are not his cup of tea any longer. He prefers to the slog all you want IPL instead of dedicating time and energy to the nation. Given an option, he will be willing to take the Chris Gayle route. Go around the world and play in all kinds of T20 leagues and thereby increase his wealth. The lofty claim of him wanting to emulate Jacques Kallis is long forgotten. He just does not have the desire any longer.
He is performing a role for which he is not suited
Now, being the captain of Gujarat Titans, he must surely feel that his spot is secure for the foreseeable future and it shows in the way he bats. Slow and sedate by his own standards. It is not his role. His role is that of a destroyer. Come around during the last 5-6 overs in T20 and last 10 overs in ODIs and propel the score to an unimaginable position. His powerful wrist and the bottom hand is conspicuous by absence. Fingers can be pointed towards the auction that left Gujarat Titans with a few batsmen short but that does not really mean that he must not continue to be the destroyer that he was and he is capable of.
The other night, Pandya ended the game with a 50 of 42 balls. The old Pandya would have scored another 25 runs for the same number of deliveries. It is alright not wanting to provide your services to the Indian team but it is completely another thing in IPL which is going to be your bread and butter for the rest of your life.
Kohli’s glowing tribute to Pandya
Virat Kohli, the former Indian captain, had high regards for Pandya just before the World T20 in 2021
“Honestly, I feel that Hardik presently with his physical condition is getting better in terms of being prepared to bowl at least two overs for us at a certain stage in this tournament. We strongly feel that we can make the most of the opportunity at hand till the time he starts bowling, we’ve considered a couple of other options to chip in for an over or two. So, we’re not bothered about that at all. What he brings at that No.6 spot is something you cannot create overnight.”
However, Pandya by promoting himself up the order, a position for which he is not suited, has mocked Kohli. He seems to indicate to everyone who will listen that he does not see himself playing for India in a specific role and that he would rather be satisfied with playing in the IPL.
Opposition has found out his batting
One of the reason I think Pandya has promoted himself is that he is certain that the opposition has exploited some chinks in his armour. Down the order, he gets restless and tries to play shots to every ball. The bowlers know that anything on his legs, the ball will disappear over the boundary ropes. Hence, they bowl full and wide on the off stump. The credit for this must go to the England bowlers. They bowled this line a couple of years ago during the ODIs series in India. Pandya all the time expected the ball on the leg stump but every time, it was on the off and wide of off. He did not have an answer for such deliveries. In most of the games against England, he ended with a below par score at a well below par strike rate.
Screaming at Shami
Captaincy does not really sit well with Pandya. He proved that in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad the other day. He was seen screaming at Mohammed Shami for preferring to save a boundary instead of going for the catch. Now, what Shami did was perfectly alright. He is not athletic and he is not a great fielder. He chose the safest option of saving the boundary. Pandya, having played with Shami for a long time must have known. Instead, he screamed at Shami for not going for the catch. I am sure if Shami had missed the catch and let go off a boundary, Pandya would have wanted him to stop the boundary.
The point is Shami is much more senior to Pandya and he is still among the main bowlers in the Indian team. Pandya is a new captain with loads to learn. For someone like him to scream at Shami, it speaks of arrogance and nothing else. Ofcourse, in any sport, being a senior must not automatically command obedience even if the player is at fault. In this case however, Shami has sone more for the Indian team than Pandya will ever manage in his entire career. For such a player to be abused in front of the whole audience is rather tragic.
Conclusion to new version of Hardik Pandya
Gujarat Titans must realise that Hardik Pandya up the order will not serve them any good. He is better off down the order where he can atleast try to drive the score. It will work some days but will fail most days. However, Pandya up the order, he may score runs but GT is likely to fall short every single time.
Footnote
Just as I was about to publish this, Hardik played a belligerent knock against Rajasthan from the same number 4 position. Will it just be a flash in the pan?
What do you think about this version of Hardik Pandya? Do you reckon that he will adjust and that this is his correct spot? Let me know in the comments section.
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